![]() ![]() By 1975, Pendergrass and Harold Melvin were at odds, mainly over monetary issues and personality conflicts. One of the group's important singles was their original version of the Philly soul classic " Don't Leave Me This Way", which turned into a disco smash when Motown artist Thelma Houston released her version in 1976. The group rode to fame with several more releases over the years including " The Love I Lost", a song that predated the upcoming disco music scene, the ballad " Hope That We Can Be Together Soon", and socially conscious singles " Wake Up Everybody" and " Bad Luck," the latter song about the Watergate scandal. Pendergrass and LaBelle developed a close friendship that would last until Pendergrass' death. Like "I Miss You" before it, the song was originally intended for a different artist, fellow Philadelphian native Patti LaBelle and her group Labelle but the group could not record it due to scheduling conflicts. The group's follow-up single, " If You Don't Know Me by Now," brought the group to the mainstream with the song reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 while also reaching number-one on the soul no.1 singles chart. The song, one of Gamble and Huff's most creative productions, became a major rhythm and blues hit and put the Blue Notes on the map. The song also featured Blue Notes member Lloyd Parks singing falsetto in the background and spotlighted Harold Melvin adding in a rap near the end of the song as Pendergrass kept singing, feigning tears. Pendergrass sings much of the song in a raspy baritone voice that would become his trademark. Noting how Pendergrass sounded like Dells lead singer Marvin Junior, Kenny Gamble decided to build the song with Pendergrass, then only 21 at the time of the recording. The song was originally written for the Dells, but the group passed on it. In 1972, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes released their first single, a slow, solemn ballad entitled "I Miss You". Early career Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes: 1972–75 That all changed when they landed a recording deal with Philadelphia International Records in 1971, thus beginning Pendergrass's successful collaboration with label founders Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Before Pendergrass joined the group, the Blue Notes had struggled to find success. However, during a performance, Pendergrass began singing along, and Melvin, impressed by his vocals, made him the lead singer. In 1970, the singer was spotted by the Blue Notes' founder, Harold Melvin (1939–1997), who convinced Pendergrass to play drums in the group. Pendergrass played drums for several local Philadelphia bands, eventually becoming the drummer of The Cadillacs. The recording, however, was not a commercial success. He dropped out in the eleventh grade to enter the music business, recording his first song "Angel With Muddy Feet". He attended Thomas Edison High School for Boys in North Philadelphia (now closed). Pendergrass also took up drums during this time and was a junior deacon of his church. He dreamed of being a pastor and got his wish when, at 10, he was ordained a minister (according to author Robert Ewell Greene). Pendergrass grew up in Philadelphia and sang often at church. When he was still very young, his father left the family Jesse was fatally chest-stabbed on June 13, 1962. Early lifeīorn Theodore DeReese Pendergrass on March 26, at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia and was the only child of Jesse and Ida Geraldine (née Epps) Pendergrass. His last performance was on a PBS special at Atlantic City's Borgata Casino in November 2008. He commemorated 25 years of living after his spinal cord injury with the star-filled event, "Teddy 25 - A Celebration of Life", at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center. He subsequently founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, a foundation that helps those with spinal cord injuries. ![]() In 1982, Pendergrass was severely injured in an auto accident in Philadelphia, resulting in his being paralyzed from the chest down. He first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade. Theodore DeReese Pendergrass (Ma– January 13, 2010) was an American singer–songwriter and composer. ![]()
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